Cynthia Fadem teaches a wide variety of geology courses and has participated in research projects in places as far flung as Armenia, Croatia and the Western United States. She routinely includes students in her research.

Cynthia says, “I'm from St Louis via Philadelphia and New York City. I love museums and music. I enjoy video games, soccer, and playing violin. I see the Earth as a book waiting to be read and humanity's imprint on its surface as a puzzle waiting to be solved.”

I take a systems approach to teaching and favor interactive, kinetic learning. Understanding a system makes it easier to understand the nature and function of its parts, and gives students what they need to synthesize information. While useful at any level, this method is especially important at the introductory level, helping students learn how to think about science, allowing geology students to more easily approach their advanced courses, and promoting and demystifying science for students in other fields. I believe kinetic learning in the laboratory and the field is critical at every level, helping students understand hypothesis-testing and continually experience the excitement of scientific discovery.

I love teaching at Earlham because our students are truly engaged in the material - whether it's a class for their major or general education. It is a pleasure to teach our students who are eager to understand and better our world.

Earlham College, an independent, residential college, aspires to provide the highest-quality undergraduate education in the liberal arts, including the sciences, shaped by the distinctive perspectives of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).